YOUR HOST, DR. ANN TIPPITT

Ann is no stranger to adventure and enjoys sharing her love of travel through special trips hosted by The Schiele. In March 2017, she led a group of 47 to Norway and is excited now to explore the geologic and pre-history of the Dordogne in beautiful South West France. Ann has been with The Schiele Museum for more than 30 years, Exploring serving as Executive Director since 2005. Prehistoric Caves H H H H South West France with Schiele Explorers TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Cave paintings at Lascaux • Private tours to the major prehistoric cave sites of Padirac, Rouffignac, Pech Merle, and Lascaux This fall, embark on an unforgettable • Boat ride on the Dordogne, and journey to experience the charming villages, canoe ride through the Aveyron geologic splendor, and rich archeological Gorge Join Dr. Ann Tippitt to • Private winetasting of varieties history of South West France. of Bergerac and Malbec wines explore the pastoral landscapes of the Dordogne and the Lot—a lost corner of France that time seems to have passed by. Beneath these dramatic • Deluxe accommodations in four-star hotels, and fine dining landscapes dotted with picturesque chateaus, vineyards, forests and rivers, lies a more enduring footprint—that of Cro-Magnon who lived 40,000 years • Private air-conditioned ago and whose cave dwellings litter the region. From our base in Sarlat- motorcoach transportation la-Canéda, we’ll visit some of the most significant of these subterranean • Free time for extra sight-seeing, marvels. shopping or relaxing

Château de Beynac Our journey south to Montaubon offers a more intimate view of this very rural and deeply rooted slice of France, home to plentiful culinary delights. Savor famous black truffles, lamb and delicate little discs of goat cheese called cabécou—all complemented with the region’s delectable wines. Join us!

September 19-28, 2019* *Tour begins September 20 in France! Tuesday, September 24 Lascaux: The Sistine Chapel of Cave Paintings We head north this morning to the famed caves of Lascaux IV, where an immersive educational experience of the pre-historic paintings awaits us. The center features state-of-the-art experiential storytelling technology paired with a facsimile of the 20,000 year-old paintings. Your afternoon is free with lunch on your own before we gather together for dinner at one of Daily Sarlat’s fine restaurants. Itinerary Wednesday, September 25 The Dappled Horses of Pech Merle This morning we travel south, entering the northern tip of the Lot. Our first stop is the Pech Merle Cave, one of the most spectacular original cave art View of Sarlat sites still open to the public. Its geology is as fascinating as the pre-historic Thursday, September 19 paintings of spotted horses and bison. Lunch and a winetasting await us at Flights from the US with arrival the following day. the Malbec-producing vineyard Château du Cèdre near Cahors, capital of the ancient province of the Quercy. After our arrival and check in at the 4-star Friday, September 20 Bienvenue! Abbaye des Capucins Hotel in Montaubon. Your evening is free. Group flight arrives in Toulouse and transfer to Sarlat, our home for the next five nights and a town of serene beauty that you will long remember. After Thursday, September 26 check-in, we enjoy a welcome drink at the 4-star Hotel Plaza Madeleine, followed by a welcome dinner in the heart of the historic city center. Nature in the Tarn-et-Garonne This morning we set out on a walking tour of Montaubon, the capital city of the Tarn-et-Garonne départment, with its graceful arcaded city square and Saturday, September 21 Subterranean Wonders houses made of rosy-pink brick. After a short lunch, we head to the Gorges Breakfast daily at both hotels. The Dordogne and the Lot regions of d’Aveyron, a nature lover’s paradise where we’ll enjoy a canoe ride through France have hundreds of caves and this morning, we set out to tour one a meandering gorge under towering limestone cliffs. Our late afternoon of the most famous—the Padirac Chasm. We’ll travel by boat along a return to Montbauban leaves your evening free for dinner on your own. subterranean river, passing through underground caverns of stunning rock formations that will take your breath away! Then it’s on to Rocamadour, a small cliff top village. After lunch, we’ll tour Chapelle Notre-Dame, the site Friday, September 27 Montaubon of the much-venerated Black Madonna. Late afternoon return to Sarlat and Your day is free today to explore more of Montaubon’s charm: perhaps a visit evening free. to the Natural History Museum, or the Ingres Museum, housing the works of the great French Neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominque Ingres, born in Montauban. This evening we gather together for our gala Farewell Dinner, complete with a tasting of local wines.

Saturday, September 28 Adieu France! Our tour ends after breakfast and hotel check-out and coach to Toulouse for return flights home. Itinerary is subject to change. Meals in bold are included in the price of the tour.

TOUR REGISTRATION

left: Abbey of Cadouin right: Black Madonna Sunday, September 22 Tour Cost: $4,240 per person, double occupancy, ground only. Tour limited to 25 participants, or as hotel space allows. The Cave of the Hundred Mammoths Schiele Society members are entitled to a $250 discount. Our destination this morning is the Grotte de Rouffignac—home to over 250 line drawings dating to the Upper Paleolithic period, the majority of them Single supplement $490. Optional group flight: $1,165, depicting mammoths. We’ll explore the 8-kilometer long cave by electric train economy on Lufthansa. before heading to lunch in Les Eyzies, a pretty little village in the Dordogne’s Deposit: $1,000 per person first come, first served. Vézère valley. Our return to Sarlat is via the 12th century Abbey of Cadouin, Tax-deductible contribution to The Schiele included. on the pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostella and a masterpiece of Romanesque religious architecture. Your evening is free. Balance Deadline: Friday, July 19, 2019. After that date, call for availability. Monday, September 23 Contact: Elysabeth Utick of The Schiele, 704.836.0020 or [email protected] to reserve your place on the tour with a Stone Sentinel of the Dordogne credit card deposit, or send a check made to The Schiele Museum for Today’s excursion begins at the dramatic Château de Beynac, high on a rocky the deposit amount to: France Excursion , The Schiele Museum, promontory. Our tour of the castle grounds offers magnificent views of the 1500 E. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28054. Registration materials will river and countryside, a deep dive across five centuries of French history. be made available online at www.schielemuseum.org. We’ll enjoy lunch near the Château before our short drive to Rogue Gageac. Yellow houses with their traditional Périgord roofs line the narrow streets of Questions? Elysabeth Utick of The Schiele Museum or this delightful village, where we’ll enjoy a private boat ride on the river. Our The Grand Tour at 800-727-2995 / [email protected]. late afternoon return to Sarlat and evening free. The France Tour is organized exclusively for The Schiele Museum by The Grand Tour Travel Company of Peterborough, NH.